U.S. Proposes 'AI Hotline' to China; Trump-Xi Summit Expected to Discuss It

[Financial News]  The U.S. government has proposed that China establish a new 'AI notification mechanism (hotline)' to address national security threats arising from artificial intelligence (AI) incidents. Ahead of this week's summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington, the proposal is emerging as a way to ease tensions and manage security risks between the two countries.
On the 21st (local time), Fox News Channel reported that U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng discussed the proposal during a high-level meeting held in New York on the 20th. Shortly after the meeting, Bessent told reporters, "It is important to shift the relationship between the world's No. 1 and No. 2 AI powers from opacity to transparency." He added that he had proposed creating a U.S.-China AI dialogue mechanism to address national security and shared threats.
China did not disclose whether it would accept the proposal. Xinhua News Agency reported that the two sides "exchanged frank, in-depth and constructive views" on AI-related issues, but did not mention whether China had agreed to the notification system.
Scott Singer, a researcher at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said, "As threats evolve, it is essential for the two countries to have a system for sharing information." He assessed the proposal as "a productive first step toward protecting the safety of people in both countries."
This is not the first attempt to establish a hotline between the two countries. In 1997, then-U.S. President Bill Clinton and Chinese President Jiang Zemin agreed to establish a direct telephone line, and a military hotline was set up in 2008. However, questions about their effectiveness during crises have persisted. In fact, during the 2023 Chinese spy balloon incident, China rejected a request for a call from the U.S. defense secretary.
The proposal comes amid growing concern over the rapid advancement of AI technology. Recently, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei warned that powerful AI systems without safeguards could take over the entire internet within months and cause massive damage. Other major technology executives, including OpenAI's Sam Altman and Elon Musk of Tesla, echoed his concerns.
President Trump, meanwhile, has emphasized technological superiority over China and rejected calls to slow the pace, saying, "Whoever wins in AI wins everything." Experts believe the technological rivalry between the two countries will intensify. Although the United States leads in advanced semiconductor foundries and investment scale, China has strong competitive advantages in developing low-cost AI models such as DeepSeek, as well as in rare earths and power infrastructure.
Foreign media outlets expect tariffs, sanctions against Russia and Iran, and the Taiwan issue to be discussed at the U.S.-China summit. Against this backdrop, the 'AI hotline' is being viewed as a rare area of cooperation where the two countries may be able to find common ground.
Singer of the Carnegie Endowment said, "Establishing a permanent channel dedicated to AI risks would be a major achievement." He added, "At least minimal safeguards are essential for mutually beneficial cooperation."
[email protected] Yoon Jae-jun Reporter